Budget Tips: 22 Simple Ways to Spend Less.

Want to stick to a budget but can’t get started? Pulling together details like your income, expenses and debts only takes minutes, so stop putting it off. The rewards of building a better relationship with your money will have you looking back at today thinking “Why didn’t I do this earlier?”. When you compare spending a few moments a week checking your statements, to stressing about where you’re going find the cash for that huge bill… you’ll discover it takes less effort to be organised!

Here are our top tips to stick to a budget:

Create a weekly menu It doesn’t need to be fancy but it will let you know what to buy.

Buy groceries online You will buy exactly what’s on your list if you shop online.

Buy a travel mug It’s easy to spend a lot of money on drinks. 2 coffees a day is $3285/year.

Throw some frozen pizzas in the freezer Having some emergency meals in the freezer will stop you from getting take away when you have a busy day.

Reduce your social media exposure “Friends” posting photos of their “amazing” lives can make us want to spend our money keeping up with Joneses.

Set up direct debits for all your bills and pay them as frequently as possible. If you can pay your insurance weekly instead of annually, do it. It might cost you a little more but small frequent expenses are easier to budget for.

Get an ‘Spend-Less Sponsor’ Bet a friend that you will have $X in savings/paid off your credit card in a month. It’s far harder to disappoint someone else than yourself.

Write down 3 reasons why you need to stick to your budget on a card and put it in your wallet. Every time you want to spend some money, get the card out as a reminder of your goals.

Review your bank account daily and be aware of every transaction so nothing slips under the radar. See our review of money management apps for great ways to keep track of your spending

Become a power Nazi. Switch everything off at the wall and turn off lights when you leave a room. Avoid using the air conditioner and clothes dryer.

Give yourself a cash allowance every week. When it’s gone it’s gone.

Take your credit card out of your wallet Better yet, give it to your partner. You’ll be too embarrassed to ask for it to use it.

Family gift limits Get your family to agree to a gift limit for Christmas/Birthdays.

Go camping Camping is super cheap, and in someways builds stronger family bonds.

Left over meals Make a list of all the left over ingredients you have, the visit supercook.com to generate recipes using those ingredients.

Track your expenses. What are you actually spending money on? There’s no point saving $1 on home brand items if you spend $100/week on take away. Find out where your leaks are using our free online budget calculator.

Cancel your gym membership Running/walking/push ups are pretty much free, or try the bodyweight training app if building muscle is your thing.

Eat cereal. Weetbix and milk is $0.40 a serve. Very affordable.

Eat sandwiches. 2 Ham sandwiches come in under $1. That is a cheap lunch!

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